Music

World-class faculty, gorgeous facilities, and flexible degree programs combine to make music a top major at Wesleyan.

Acclaimed for a rich heritage of excellence in the fine arts, the Music Department provides stimulating and multi-faceted opportunities and experiences for our students. In addition to the bachelor of arts degree in two areas, a minor in music is also available. Majors tracks:

  • Performance track (emphases offered in voice, piano, and organ) - for students with a high degree of performing ability; culminates in a senior recital.
  • General music track - a flexible program in which students can choose to study any instrument or combination of instruments (voice, keyboard, brass, woodwinds, strings, or percussion) - ideal for students with multiple musical interests or who want to double major in music and another discipline.
  • Pre-Music Therapy - gives students the coursework needed to more easily and quickly enter a Master of Music Therapy program or complete a Music Therapy Equivalency (MMT) Program to become certified.  To enter a MMT program, students need to be able to accompany themselves with piano and/or guitar while singing, therefore this concentration has 16 required hours of performance.

Students may audition for one of our numerous talent scholarships. The prestigious Lane Scholars Program provides three full-tuition scholarships annually to academically superior first-year applicants for admission whose intended major is in the area of fine arts. Eligible candidates must be invited to compete at Scholarship Day, possess strong academic credentials, and demonstrate their interest and ability to engage in research.

Majors: General Music, Music with an emphasis in organ, piano, or voice, or Pre-music Therapy
Minor: Music
Academic Catalogue

Why Wesleyan?

Why Wesleyan?

No one knows Wesleyan better than our alumnae who have experienced learning, living, and thriving at Wesleyan. Alumnae reflect on their experiences on campus and the impact on their lives through lifelong friendships to skills acquired on campus impacting their careers.

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Career Development

Career Development

A liberal arts education prepares you for your first job and your last. Wesleyan has a four-year plan to prepare students to make the connection between a liberal arts education and success in the workplace.

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Majors

Majors

Wesleyan offers 25 majors and 35 minors, including self-designed interdisciplinary studies, eight pre-professional programs and the bachelor of science in nursing and bachelor of fine arts degrees.

Major listings

 

UNRIVALED PERSONAL ATTENTION

Music majors at Wesleyan receive unrivaled personal attention and abundant performance opportunities at school and around the community. Our outstanding facilities include elegant performance venues (Burden Parlor, Pierce Chapel, Porter Auditorium), a collection of beautifully restored Steinway and Boesendorfer pianos, one of the most well-known organs in the Southeastern United States (Goodwyn-Candler-Panoz Organ), and access to an extensive number of scores, books, and electronic resources.

Music majors may select from emphasis tracks for more focused study, or general tracks, that allow them to focus on more than one instrument or multiple styles and genres of music. Many music majors double major—a possibility unique to our liberal arts curriculum. By earning a bachelor’s degree with more than one major, students are extremely well prepared for flexibility in their career path.

Music student practices singing.

Outside The Classroom

Internships: Wesleyan's music majors have interned in major cities around the United States as well as worked for many local community organizations, including Macon Symphony Orchestra, Macon Arts Alliance, Central Georgia Opera Guild, and Macon Little Theatre. Several churches in the area also offer paid internships.

Travel: Music students have attended international summer music festivals or studied abroad in Spain, Korea, Greece, Austria, Germany, and Italy; our vocal ensembles offer additional opportunities for travel and performance to schools and churches throughout the Southeastern United States.

Professional Development: Students regularly present or compete with professional organizations such as Georgia Music Teachers Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Teachers National Association, Atlanta Music Club, National Association of Teachers for Singing, Georgia Collegiate Honors Council, and others.

Music student, Rawlanda Hercules
Rawlanda Hercules
Current Student

When I graduate, I can go into any music- or theatre-related field. I could become an actress on stage or screen, a teacher of theatre or music, a vocalist, composer, or musical artist.

Pursuing A Dream

Valentina Huang sits at the piano in the Burden Parlor on campus.

Qishan “Valentina” Huang (Class of 2019) came to Wesleyan as part of the dual-degree partnership from Jiangxi Province, China. She soon decided that spending only one year on campus was not enough, so she surrendered her dual-degree and transferred to Wesleyan as a full-time student double majoring in economics and piano performance. 

A member of the Concert Choir, Valentina studies piano and harpsichord with Dr. Chenny Gan and organ performance with Associate Professor of Music Dr. Michael McGhee.

In the last two years, Valentina has won the Southeast Young Artist Piano Competition, Georgia Music Teachers Collegiate Concerto Competition, GMTA Collegiate Auditions, and most recently, the Rome Symphony Concerto Competition. Last summer she studied with Dr. Gan at the Interharmony International Music Festival in Germany and was selected as an Outstanding Performer. This summer she attended the Brevard Music Festival, one of this country’s premier summer training programs. READ MORE

 

MUSIC MAJORS STUDY  AT PRESTIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS:

Indiana University, University of Texas, Berklee School of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California Los Angeles, Southern Methodist University, University of Southern California, University of North Carolina, Mercer University, University of South Carolina, Belmont University

 

 

Chenny Gan, student, alumna and professor at Wesleyan.

Assistant Professor of Music and Wesleyan Alumna Chenny Gan speaks fondly of of her time as a student at Wesleyan. Her relationships with professors and how integral they were in helping her in accomplishing her goals. "If you are thinking about Wesleyan, I promise this is a place you are going to grow, and your going to know more about yourself."

Chenny Q. Gan
M.A. Program Director, Associate Professor of Music (478) 757-5147 Profile
Michael McGhee
Associate Professor of Music, Music Dept. Chair (478) 757-2433 Profile

Calendar of Events

Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

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NCAA Division III Athletics

Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.

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